What if Darcy had had doubts about separating his friend from Jane Bennet far earlier in the story than in the original? How would things play out then? Well, here is a take on how it could have been, had Darcy persuaded Bingley to return to Netherfield in December of 1811.

    Darcy to know each other better and amend their harsh first impression. Miss Bennet’s unguarded behaviour, outspoken and obstinate nature, headstrong opinions and unladylike inclinations for solitary walks do not meet with Mr. Darcy’s image of an accomplished lady. But a pair of fine eyes on a pretty face, a loyal heart, a witty mind and a teasing smile will soon defeat his resistance and overcome his opposition, inducing him to pursue Elizabeth's friendship and then her love. The first lesson he will learn in the process is that taming a wild temper is not an easy task. “Fine Eyes, Wild Temper” is a sweet, novella-length story of approximately 20.000 words, clean and low angst, recommended to those who love Elizabeth, Darcy and pets.

    With the support of his Fitzwilliam relatives and his friend, Charles Bingley, he resists the temptation to give in to emotional blackmail or behave less honorably to gain his father’s praise. Instead, he plans and prepares for a future without Pemberley. When the crisis comes, he takes an unusual path that eventually leads him to Meryton and Elizabeth Bennet. Despite his changed circumstances, his honorable behavior shows young Darcy to have a proper form of pride.

    Darcy has no interest in the metaphysical but he is more desperate than at any other time in his life.Miss Elizabeth Bennet immediately responds to the urgency of Mr. Darcy’s request for aid. Where could Miss Darcy be? She sets off with him in a mad dash across the country, and the sea, in an anxious search for a most beloved sister.Miss Bennet’s guidance and compassion comforts Darcy, sustaining his confidence in their success. The touch of her hand sooths his uneasy spirit.Mr. Darcy’s deep affection for his sister reveals to Elizabeth an unguarded side to his forbidding person. As each passing mile draws them closer to Georgiana, their attraction to each other increases in depth.

    Because of a death bed promise, he will only marry a lady who will unconditionally love the infant and whom he can love. However, in his past searches, Darcy found most society ladies saw only his wealth, connections, and property. How is he to find a lady who sees past what he has and loves who he is?Elizabeth Bennet wants to marry only for love, and of one thing she is absolutely sure, she loves Mr. Darcy’s infant ward. The question is, can she love the man as well. If she does choose to marry, she does not want her mother planning a lavish, overly embellished wedding, so how can she thwart her mother’s plans — through a secret arrangement.Besides the issue of love, what other problems could occur? A mother who will take control of the engagement and wedding arrangements, another lady's jealousy, and a grandmother who wants her infant granddaughter to disappear.Will Elizabeth and Darcy find love and happiness?

    Hoping the time away from home might begin to heal Jane’s wounded heart, Elizabeth also seeks peace and quiet to finish the novel she has been working on in secret. She does not expect to meet Mr. Darcy ever again, but should she collide with the arrogant man who had a hand in causing Jane’s sorrow, she has vowed to give him a piece of her mind. A chance encounter while visiting his favorite bookshop finds Fitzwilliam Darcy in the company of a woman he has failed to forget. When he discovers that Elizabeth is there to research a novel she is writing, Darcy offers the use of his own personal library instead, hoping she might finally understand his true character. When the two are thrown together again by fate, will Darcy and Elizabeth open their hearts enough to amend their first impressions of each other? Though not without plenty of conflict, Darcy’s Winter Ball is a sweet, lighthearted, Regency-set novella, with a happy ending for ODC.

    Not only is Mr Bennet ill, Longbourn and indeed all of Meryton is struggling through one of England’s worst winters. Elizabeth draws on every strength to care for her family, but faces the alarming prospect of losing both her father and her home. Her lonely struggles lead her to revise her opinion of a certain gentleman, and she finds unexpected solace in dreams of Mr Darcy.FITZWILLIAM DARCY BELIEVES HE CAN ESCAPE his attraction to Elizabeth by leaving Netherfield. He soon finds himself snowbound at Pemberley, where forced isolation compels him to contemplate his duty, and contrast it with dreams of his heart’s desire. No matter how he considers it, though, he feels he cannot have Elizabeth, the one he truly loves.FORTUNATELY DARCY'S FRIENDS and his family–Georgiana, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and the Hursts–feel far differently than he, and soon even the most unlikely allies have come together to help him see that happiness is the highest consideration of all. But will he and Elizabeth find the courage to follow their hearts before it is too late?

    The men in my life would consider it amusing but naïve to afford the same semantics of conversation for wholly different circumstances such as these, or they would should one of them choose to read it.This vagary proposes an alternate telling of the original Pride and Prejudice and considers what may have happened should the characters have been afforded a slightly altered set of circumstances. What if Mr. Darcy had accepted quite early that he was falling in love with Elizabeth? What if Elizabeth was the least stubborn of her sisters? What if Mrs. Bennet was allowed to settle in mind and spirit? What if Mr. Bennet exerted himself on behalf of his daughters? What if Mr. Collins was in some way welcomed as the next owner of the estate? Those are only some of the twists within this tale, and while not canon, I hope I gave your favorite character a moment unto themselves that will make you smile.CAUTION: I want to specifically state that this vagary is not for all Pride and Prejudice genre readers. If one reads to find fault in what is not canon, I’ve been most forthcoming about the fact that it is a vagary, so you should already be on your guard and perhaps pass it by. For those of you who are strict authoress-guidelines conscious, I will argue that in all time periods people spoke with the use of contractions. To that end, I was true to life rather than follow her pointed non-use of them. Outside conversation, however, you will not find them, and I hope that soothes any feathers which may be ruffled at such a bold defiance.CAUTION: My editor also requested that I issue a point of clarification on her behalf. I confess that as an author em-dashes drive me nanabas, so in conflict with her excellent advice, I did not include many of them where she said they should be. Despise me for it if you must, but no novel, story, prose, or verse ever hinged on one’s use. The lacking or use of a comma, however, has cost millions. I promise that for those, I let her fully guide me.NOTE: My personal pleasure in writing this book was the intent to make any who read it find themselves staying up at night; not because ODCs are near death, have been forced to do that which they despise, or are off chasing Lydia again, but because I believe I am not the only one of us who dearly loves to laugh.

    Her carriage has met with an accident! Of course, Darcy comes to the rescue despite the recent, scathing rejection of his hand and heart. Circumstances force them to seek refuge in a nearby farmhouse, posing as man and wife! Why was Elizabeth travelling to London in a strange carriage, days before her visit to the metropolis was scheduled? Why did their hostess at the farmhouse welcome them with a shooting rifle. And with the acrimony and hurt of the proposal still raw, how would our dear couple navigate this chance encounter! This light-hearted story answers all these questions and more!

    For the first time, Elizabeth is thrown head-first into the world of Mayfair shopping, dinners, and balls. You can take the headstrong woman out of the country, but London's highest society isn't ready for Mrs. Darcy's fearless ways.Warned by his uncle that marriage changes a man, Fitzwilliam Darcy confronts expectations not only from his peers, but also his household and even his wife! Absolved of joint decisions when they were with the Bingleys in Hertfordshire, residing in London even for a few weeks places a strain on the new Darcy marriage. Old insecurities and parlor privateers demand a price to be paid and it's the first time Mr. Darcy's wealth may not be enough.One thing is certain, with those fiery tempers come fiery passions. The love shared between Mr. Darcy and his Elizabeth helps smooth over their struggles in communication. If only people would stop knocking on the door! When the Matlocks' Twelfth Night Ball becomes the can't be missed event of the Ton, Darcy and Elizabeth have a big decision to make. Will they remain in London answering to the whims and antics of the fast set close to the Prince Regent? Or will they carry the topsy-turvy night beyond dawn and run away to Pemberley?Mr. Darcy's Twelfth Night is a steamy Regency romance novel for fans of If Mr. Darcy Dared.

    He is desperate to forget his failed marriage proposal to Elizabeth Bennet and desires nothing more than to banish both the lady and his humiliation from his mind once and for all. A storm breaks and he decides to stop at a small cottage on his land until the morning. But as he approaches shelter, a tree branch snaps loose in the storm, and renders him unconscious. Miss Elizabeth Bennet is cursing her luck that a storm should break out on the very day she decided to explore Pemberley Woods. She had relished the chance to be alone on her tour of Derbyshire with her aunt and uncle, but now she is trapped in the middle of nowhere, and the weather is growing worse. She hears a horse, and runs in the direction of the sound to find the unconscious form of very man she least wishes to encounter. She is forced to drag him into the cottage, where they spend the night alone together. Unfortunately, when he awakens, Mr Darcy has no idea who he is, and has no memory of anything that happened before his accident. They return to Pemberley where Mr and Miss Bingley have been searching frantically for Mr Darcy. Miss Bingley is not too pleased that Mr Darcy has now compromised Elizabeth’s reputation, and will be obliged to marry her when his memory recovers. But the lady realises his lack of memory could also be the opportunity she herself has been hoping for. Can Mr Darcy recover his memory before he is manipulated by those around him who would seek to take advantage of his vulnerable state? And why is the pretty and lively Miss Elizabeth so reluctant to share memories of their former encounters together? Elizabeth is intrigued by the new side to Darcy she sees, and believes this is a man she could love. But is it just a result of his accident, or has he really changed? And as her feelings for him grows, she wonders if it’s possible he will still love her when his memory returns? Or will he resent her as the lady who rejected him and his previous marriage proposal?

    The honorable man whose proposal she refused years before.... Elizabeth had become a governess following Mr. Bennet's death. And now she thought she had killed her employer, the Earl of Lachglass, while defending herself from his vile advances. When Elizabeth is reunited with Mr. Darcy, their love blossoms. Darcy's old passion for her quickly wakes again, and Elizabeth can clearly see Mr. Darcy's character and his kindness and goodness. But the Earl of Lachglass survived, and he wants revenge. It shall take all of Elizabeth's and Darcy's strength, and the help of Darcy's cousin General Fitzwilliam, for her to escape. Warning: This story has a scene of attempted sexual violence, though Elizabeth successfully defends herself.

    Bingley takes up residence at Netherfield Park, Elizabeth travels into Derbyshire with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. On a day when her relations are visiting with some of Mrs. Gardiner's childhood friends, Elizabeth decides to explore the small village instead. Without realizing it, she strays further and further from the village, unconsciously walking in the direction of Pemberley, the estate they visited two days prior. Lost in her thoughts and the beauty of the Derbyshire countryside, Elizabeth wanders further than she realizes and fails to notice the storm clouds building above her. With the first flash of lightning and peel of thunder, she seeks somewhere to shelter from the storm. Rushing for a dense tree line where she might stay dry from the impending rain, Elizabeth Bennet meets with a dreadful accident. Returning from business in London, Fitzwilliam Darcy races across the grounds of Pemberley trying to outrun the storm. Coming across a beautiful young woman who is injured, he takes her home so his staff can care for her. Darcy hopes her presence will help lift his mother's melancholy. When Elizabeth regains consciousness, she has no memory of her name or her past. During the many weeks of her recovery, Elizabeth grows close to Mr. Darcy and his mother, Lady Anne. When Elizabeth recovers enough to leave the estate, the Darcys decided she needs an identity that will protect her from gossip. And so, Miss Elizabeth Chamberlayne, a long-lost Darcy cousin is born. After receiving two requests, Darcy accepts an invitation to stay with his friend, Mr. Bingley, at Netherfield Park and the ladies will join him. What will happen when Elizabeth comes face to face with her family? Will she remember them, or will her memory still be a blank? All of the original characters of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice make an appearance. How will Elizabeth's lack of memory affect her interactions with them?

    Darcy is in need of a wife. Business keeps him in London, but Georgiana must go to Pemberley for the sake of her health. He cannot trust her care to the servants. He knows his duty - he must seek a wife. A ball at Almack’s is the place to seek a wife of good breeding and wealth. So Mr. Darcy must force himself to attend. Miss Elizabeth Bennet is pleasing to look at. Miss Elizabeth Bennet is lively, playful and intelligent. Miss Elizabeth Bennet is wearing exquisite, costly gowns. Miss Elizabeth Bennet has a voucher to Almack’s, so she must be from a highly suitable family. Mr. Darcy knows his position in life is such that no lady will refuse his offer of marriage, even when he makes it clear that the arrangement does not include affection. Nothing can possibly go wrong. Artifice and Attraction is a sweet and clean Regency Romance novel of over 89,000 words

     How Mr Darcy is going to win Elizabeth's heart? *** This is an edited version of the story "Five Questions" published online several years ago. ***